WASHINGTON — All drugs provided to HIV and AIDS patients under the District of Columbia's AIDS Drug Assistance Program will go through a new pharmacy network that includes Walgreens, the D.C. Department of Health said.

The department said it would shift the process of administering medications through CARE Pharmacies to administering them through agreements with individual pharmacies throughout the city. The transition started Monday and will continue through the end of August, and the department said it was in the process of inviting all registered pharmacies in the district to participate in the new network, which it said would be fully operational by Sept. 1.

"The Department of Health has worked diligently with all relevant parties to ensure that this transition is seamless to patients in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program," D.C. Department of Health director Mohammad Akhter said. "We have done our research and look forward to being able to provide patients with increased access to services to allow them a more efficient treatment plan for their specific health needs. No client will lose access to their HIV medications because of this transition."